Community Forums

Dean n Mike · 02-10-2019, 08:22 AM

Driving home from a stay locally last week in the coach, on the freeway in moderate traffic (moving at 55-60 mph, all lanes occupied). I see an object bouncing along in my lane as the car ahead of me passes it. It looks light to me, maybe a piece of trim from a car. Anyway, no room, or time, to dodge it and it is bouncing erratically so I edge as far right as I can and hope for the best.

Big Bang ensues, followed by a loud dragging sound. I hang onto the wheel tightly, but no indication that a tire is flat, no handling issues immediately apparent. Got it stopped on the (narrow) shoulder, and have to back up a bit to get some space on the left side to allow me to look at the damage without standing in traffic.

Once out of the coach, I find a 15-18” steel stake, 3/4” in diameter, has hit the generator exhaust pipe, destroying the bracket holding it to the coach, and punched its way into the front left storage compartment. This is a stake with holes in the shaft and a pointed end, used to secure cement forms.

I pulled it out and got on my way after looking briefly to see if there was any other damage. Have to get it in for a more thorough exam this week.

I cannot tell, of course, which cement contractor dropped the bar [mod edit].

I’m really happy that it didn’t bounce high and come through the windshield or the body work, the thing must weigh 4-5 lbs!!

Having it stick in the coach and not bounce up into somebody else’s windshield is probably fortunate, the thing would kill someone easily.

Counting my blessings, and wishing I had a way to tell those careless contractors how close this was to being a catastrophe!

Mike

Contrarian · 02-10-2019, 08:42 AM

I like your attitude.. glass half full

MSHappyCampers · 02-10-2019, 09:09 AM

You were VERY lucky!

iowaone · 02-10-2019, 09:33 AM

Have your generator checked carefully if the exhaust pipe was damaged. It can crack the manifold. That can be very expensive but should be covered by your insurance.

Oldkarphart · 02-10-2019, 09:51 AM

I cannot tell, of course, which cement contractor dropped the bar [mod edit]

NCC-1701A · 02-10-2019, 04:50 PM

Yes you are fortunate and glad it didn't do more damage to your coach.

Sometimes construction companies can be careless with their loads. A couple of years ago a big rock-hauling semi, speeding excessively on a two lane and coming toward me, hit a bump and at his speed, with a load of rock so big it was heaped up over the box with no cover to hold it in, threw out about a bushel-basket sized mass of breaker rock each the size of a fist. I had no time to react as they bounced once on the pavement and then hit the front of my pickup full bore. Of course the windshield was smashed but some of the rock actually penetrated the hood and roof, broke the grill (somehow did not puncture the radiator) and did assorted other damage to the tune of nearly $5000.

I had to immediately pull over on a narrow two-lane with virtually no shoulder and could not pursue the jerk so never knew what company it was. Glad I was not a motorcyclist or I'd have been dead.

momdoc · 02-10-2019, 07:28 PM

You dodged a bullet for sure. Glad everyone is ok

joyjoy22 · 02-10-2019, 08:16 PM

Luck hits you when you least expect it.

ScoobyDoo · 02-10-2019, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean n Mike

Driving home from a stay locally last week in the coach, on the freeway in moderate traffic (moving at 55-60 mph, all lanes occupied). I see an object bouncing along in my lane as the car ahead of me passes it. It looks light to me, maybe a piece of trim from a car. Anyway, no room, or time, to dodge it and it is bouncing erratically so I edge as far right as I can and hope for the best.

Big Bang ensues, followed by a loud dragging sound. I hang onto the wheel tightly, but no indication that a tire is flat, no handling issues immediately apparent. Got it stopped on the (narrow) shoulder, and have to back up a bit to get some space on the left side to allow me to look at the damage without standing in traffic.

Once out of the coach, I find a 15-18” steel stake, 3/4” in diameter, has hit the generator exhaust pipe, destroying the bracket holding it to the coach, and punched its way into the front left storage compartment. This is a stake with holes in the shaft and a pointed end, used to secure cement forms.

Yes you are both unlucky and lucky. Unlucky to encounter the road hazard, and lucky for the limited damage.

Quote:

I cannot tell, of course, which cement contractor dropped the bar [mod edit].

First, not only can you not tell which company lost the pin, you can't even say for sure that it fell off a construction company truck. I have worked around construction all my life, and like any other group that uses tools most try real hard to take care of their tools. The pins, in normal use will get bent, and it does not take much bend to turn them into scrap. (I've got a few in my metal bin, and have used some building/repairing things)

[mod edit]

Mr.Mark · 02-11-2019, 07:58 AM

Had something similar happen several years ago. Driving the I-10 Freeway from Los Angeles to Palm Springs. I'm in the #3 lane from the right.

Traffic is moving along nicely at 70 mph. We start seeing these white fluffy things not realizing what they were then we realized they were pillows. After seeing several of those, we came up on a pickup truck in the #1 lane with a sofa in the bed.

NOTHING was secured. The lady driving was oblivious to her perfectly set-up sofa in the bed of the truck. Then, with the tailgate down, the sofa starts sliding off the back.

I'm so glad that I wasn't behind her. There was an 18 wheeler following her but pretty far back. I'm sure everyone, like us, saw the pillows on the Freeway.

Well, the beautiful white sofa hits the Freeway at 70 mph. Thank goodness it slides off to the right hitting a sandy embankment rolling off to the side. The lady didn't realize it was gone for a quite a while then we see her pulled off to the side with her face in her hands. I'm thinking what a total idiot (men can be guilty too) for not securing a load.

As I'm sure many of you have seen, people just don't secure their loads. I have gotten in the habit of getting far away from people if I see they are carrying ANYTHING. I've seen it happen way too many times.

Safe travels and glad the OP dodged a major bullet (hopefully no significant genny damage).
Mark

deandec · 02-11-2019, 10:56 AM

Scary issues.

When commuting in a left lane of Hwy 100 in Minneapolis, a flatbed truck in the right lane and forward of my car lost a steel girder/post of some sort.

It bounced on one end in front of my car, flipped over my car and landed in the median.

I suspect the driver behind me was just as terrified as I was......

GoneToTheDog · 02-11-2019, 11:04 AM

"As I'm sure many of you have seen, people just don't secure their loads. I have gotten in the habit of getting far away from people if I see they are carrying ANYTHING. I've seen it happen way too many times."

Same here. I try to be alert for vehicles carrying ANYTHING also......and get as far away as I can.
My worst encounter was some years ago in California, driving a Class A with toad. Suddenly everyone ahead was stomping on the brakes and swerving to the left, to avoid a mattress and box spring. I would have hit it, but luckily there was an exit ramp right there, and no one beside me on the right. Talk about the need to change your underwear!

barmcd · 02-11-2019, 04:29 PM

We've had to edit several posts to remove reference to illegal aliens, which is a hot button political issue. Per our community rules, political discussion is not permitted at iRV2. Please do not bring it up again.

johns1959 · 02-21-2019, 11:38 AM

Well I have two stories. My wife was returning form picking one of our kids up at college when a tractor trailer ahead of her kicked up a retread that was laying in the road. It sailed through the air and hit her windshield directly. the windshield exploded and sent safety glass flying everywhere. She was able to get the car to the side of the road safely and call me for help. Fortunately no-one was seriously injured but they could have been. Those retreads laying everywhere are very dangerous.

On another trip with the family, I was driving at speed on the interstate. A Chevy 1500 towing a flatbed with a beautiful vintage pickup blew by me going at least 85. His trailer was swaying back and forth and his front end was riding pretty high. I told DW that we would probably be seeing him again soon and slowed down to 65. About 5 miles down the road we did see him again as he had rolled it into the median. There was already a Trooper on the scene and it didn't look like he was seriously hurt but the truck wasn't so pretty anymore...